Thermoelectric cooling devices, systems and methods

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides thermoelectric cooling devices, systems and methods. A thermoelectric system of the present disclosure may comprise a chamber configured to hold the beverage container; at least one actuator configured to rotate the beverage container within the chamber; a source of a thermal coupling medium in fluid communication with the chamber, wherein the thermal coupling medium is configured to thermally couple the beverage container to one or more walls of the chamber; a heat sink; and a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements surrounding the chamber, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements is configured to transfer heat from the beverage container to the heat sink upon application of power to the plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements, thereby cooling the beverage container.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/788,713, filed on Jan. 4, 2019, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The thermoelectric effect can be the direct conversion of a temperature gradient to an electric voltage or an electric voltage to a temperature gradient. The thermoelectric effect can result from the diffusion of charge carriers from a hot side to a cold side of the temperature gradient. The thermoelectric effect can encompass the Seebeck effect, the Peltier effect, and the Thomson effect. Thermoelectric cooling devices can employ the Peltier effect for heat pumping.

Thermoelectric device performance may be captured by a so-called thermoelectric figure-of-merit, Z=S² σ/k, where ‘S’ is the Seebeck coefficient, ‘σ’ is electrical conductivity, and ‘k’ is thermal conductivity. Z can be employed as an indicator of the coefficient-of-performance (COP) of a thermoelectric cooling device. That is, COP may scale with Z. A dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT, may be employed to quantify thermoelectric device performance, where ‘T’ can be an average temperature of the hot and the cold sides of the device.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides improved cooling devices. Specifically, the thermoelectric cooling devices of the present disclosure can enable rapid cooling of beverage containers, food, or other objects. The thermoelectric cooling devices described herein can (i) be smaller than traditional vapor-compression refrigeration systems, (ii) operate without moving parts that may require maintenance, and (iii) offer more precise control of temperatures.

In an aspect, a system for cooling a beverage container can comprise a chamber configured to hold the beverage container, at least one actuator configured to rotate the beverage container within the chamber, and a source of a thermal coupling medium in fluid communication with the chamber. The thermal coupling medium can be configured to thermally couple the beverage container to one or more walls of the chamber. The system can also comprise a heat sink and a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements surrounding the chamber. The plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements can be configured to transfer heat from the beverage container to the heat sink upon application of power to the plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements, thereby cooling the beverage container.

In some embodiments the chamber can be substantially cylindrical in shape. The thermoelectric cooling elements can be arranged in a radial direction with respect to the chamber. In some embodiments, the chamber can be sized to hold at most a single beverage container. In some embodiments, the chamber can comprises a drain for draining the thermal coupling medium from the chamber.

In some embodiments, the heat sink can comprise a thermally conductive material.

In some embodiments, the heat sink can be an air-cooled heat sink comprising one or more fans. In some embodiments, the heat sink can be a liquid-cooled heat sink.

In some embodiments, the plurality of thermoelectric elements can comprise an n-type semiconductor element. In some embodiments, the plurality of thermoelectric elements can comprise a p-type semiconductor element. In some embodiments, the plurality of thermoelectric elements can comprise an n-type semiconductor element in series with a p-type semiconductor element.

In some embodiments, the system can comprise a direct current (DC) source. The DC source can be a battery. The DC source can be an adapter or power supply.

In some embodiments, the thermoelectric cooling device can be configured to use at most 20 kilowatt-minutes of electric power to cool a 12-ounce beverage in the beverage container from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius in approximately 1 minute or less. In some embodiments, the thermoelectric cooling device can be configured to use at most 25 kilowatt-minutes of electric power to cool a 20-ounce beverage in the beverage container from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius in approximately 1 minute or less.

In some embodiments, the rotating facilitates cooling of the beverage container at a uniformity that deviates by at most 10 degrees Celsius between any two points on a surface of the container.

In some embodiments, the system can further comprise an electronic display configured to display a current beverage container temperature and a remaining cooling time of the beverage container. The electronic display can be a user interface. The user interface can be configured to enable a user to select a beverage temperature and a cooling cycle time. The electronic display can be a capacitive touchscreen.

In some embodiments, the chamber can comprise a removable cap. The removable cap can be transparent.

In some embodiments, the system can further comprise a drink vending machine comprising a dispensing slot. The chamber can be disposed in the dispensing slot. The dispensing slot can be configured to dispense the beverage container subsequent to cooling. In some embodiments, the drink vending machine may not have a refrigeration unit.

In some embodiments, the source of the thermal coupling medium can comprise a reservoir. The system can comprise a pump, and the pump can be configured to pump the thermal coupling medium from the reservoir to the chamber upon activation of the system.

In another aspect, a method for cooling a beverage container can comprise activating a cooling system comprising: (i) a chamber configured to hold a beverage container, (ii) at least one actuator configured to rotate the beverage container within the chamber, and (iii) a source of a thermal coupling medium in fluid communication with the chamber. The thermal coupling medium can be configured to thermally couple the beverage container to one or more walls of the chamber. The cooling system can further comprise (iv) a heat sink and (v) a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements surrounding the chamber. The plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements can be configured to transfer heat from said beverage container to said heat sink upon application of power to said plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements. Upon activation, the chamber of the cooling system can comprise the thermal coupling medium from the source. The method can further comprise cooling the beverage container with the beverage container in the chamber.

In some embodiments, activating the cooling system can comprise cooling the thermal coupling medium to a temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature. In some embodiments, the method can further comprise receiving the beverage container in the chamber subsequent to activating the cooling system. In some embodiments, the method can further comprise activating the motor.

In another aspect, a thermoelectric cooling device can comprise a chamber configured to hold a liquid. The chamber can comprise a plurality of sides. A first side and a second side of the plurality of sides can each have an area that is at least double the area of any other side of the plurality of sides. The thermoelectric cooling device can further comprise heat sinks disposed adjacent to the first side and the second side and thermoelectric cooling elements disposed between each of the heat sinks and the chamber. The thermoelectric cooling elements can be configured to transfer heat from the liquid to the heat sinks upon application of power to the thermoelectric cooling elements.

In some embodiments, the chamber can comprise a plurality of bores. Each of the plurality of bores can be physically separate.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described. As will be realized, the present disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. To the extent publications and patents or patent applications incorporated by reference contradict the disclosure contained in the specification, the specification is intended to supersede and/or take precedence over any such contradictory material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings (also “figure” and “FIG.” herein), of which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a first example of a thermoelectric cooling device;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a circuit with p-type and n-type thermoelectric cooling elements;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top view of a second example of a thermoelectric cooling device;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a thermoelectric element, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a schematic top view of the thermoelectric element of FIG. 6, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the thermoelectric element of FIG. 6, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of a thermoelectric element of FIG. 6, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a schematic top view of the thermoelectric element of FIG. 6, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 shows a computer control system that is programmed or otherwise configured to implement methods provided herein;

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a commercial implementation of a thermoelectric cooling device;

FIG. 13 is a front view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a back view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is a second isometric view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 12;

FIG. 16A and FIG. 16B are top and isometric views of a third example of a thermoelectric cooling device, respectively; and

FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B are isometric and top views of a pour-in thermoelectric cooling device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed.

The term “nanostructure,” as used herein, generally refers to structures having a first dimension (e.g., width) along a first axis that is less than about 1 micrometer (“micron”) in size. Along a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, such nanostructures can have a second dimension from nanometers or smaller to microns, millimeters or larger. The dimension (e.g., width) may be less than about 1000 nanometers (“nm”), or 500 nm, or 100 nm, or 50 nm, or smaller. Nanostructures can include holes formed in a substrate material. The holes can form a mesh having an array of holes. In other cases, nanostructure can include rod-like structures, such as wires, cylinders or box-like structure. The rod-like structures can have circular, elliptical, triangular, square, rectangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal or nonagonal, or other cross-sections.

The term “nanowire,” as used herein, generally refers to a wire or other elongate structure having a width or diameter that is less than or equal to about 1000 nm, or 500 nm, or 100 nm, or 50 nm, or smaller.

The term “n-type,” as used herein, generally refers to a material that is chemically doped (“doped”) with an n-type dopant. For instance, silicon can be doped n-type using phosphorous or arsenic.

The term “p-type,” as used herein, generally refers to a material that is doped with a p-type dopant. For instance, silicon can be doped p-type using boron or aluminum.

The term “metallic,” as used herein, generally refers to a substance exhibiting metallic properties. A metallic material can include one or more elemental metals.

The term “adjacent” or “adjacent to,” as used herein, includes “next to,” “adjoining,” “in contact with,” and “in proximity to.”

Whenever the term “at least,” “greater than,” or “greater than or equal to” precedes the first numerical value in a series of two or more numerical values, the term “at least,” “greater than” or “greater than or equal to” applies to each of the numerical values in that series of numerical values. For example, greater than or equal to 1, 2, or 3 is equivalent to greater than or equal to 1, greater than or equal to 2, or greater than or equal to 3.

Whenever the term “no more than,” “less than,” or “less than or equal to” precedes the first numerical value in a series of two or more numerical values, the term “no more than,” “less than,” or “less than or equal to” applies to each of the numerical values in that series of numerical values. For example, less than or equal to 3, 2, or 1 is equivalent to less than or equal to 3, less than or equal to 2, or less than or equal to 1.

The present disclosure provides an improved thermoelectric cooling device. In an aspect, the thermoelectric cooling device can include a chamber configured to hold a beverage container; a thermal coupling medium surrounding the beverage container that thermally couples the beverage container to the walls of the chamber; a heat sink; and a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements surrounding the chamber. The plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements can be configured to transfer heat from the beverage container to the heat sink when a direct current is provided to the plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements.

The thermoelectric cooling device described herein can be used to rapidly cool the beverage inside the beverage container. For example, a thermoelectric cooling device as described herein can have 9 thermoelectric elements and use at most about 20 kilowatt-minutes (kW-m), 15 kW-m, 10 kW-m, 9 kW-m, 8 kW-m, 7 kW-m, 6 kW-m, 5 kW-m, 4 kW-m, 3 kW-m, or 2 k-Wm of electric power to cool a 12-ounce beverage container from about 25 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius, from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius, from about 15 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius, or from about 10 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius in less than about 1 minute. Alternatively, a thermoelectric cooling device as described herein can have 24 thermoelectric elements and use at most about 25 kilowatt-minutes (kW-m), 20 kW-m, 15 kW-m, 10 kW-m, 9 kW-m, 8 kW-m, 7 kW-m, 6 kW-m, or 5 kW-m of electric power to cool a 20-ounce beverage container from about 25 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius, from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius, from about 15 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius, or from about 10 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius in less than about 1 minute.

Reference will now be made to the figures, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout. It will be appreciated that the figures and features therein are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a top view of an example thermoelectric cooling device 100. The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can rapidly cool a beverage container such as an aluminum can, a glass bottle, or a plastic bottle. Alternatively or in addition, the thermoelectric cooling device 100 can cool food or another object.

The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can include a chamber 105 that is configured to hold the beverage container or other object. The chamber 105 can be made of a metallic (or metal-containing) material. The metallic material can include one or more elemental metals. For example, the metallic material can include one or more of aluminum, titanium, iron, steel, tin, tungsten, molybdenum, tantalum, cobalt, bismuth, cadmium, titanium, zirconium, antimony, manganese, beryllium, chromium, germanium, vanadium, gallium, hafnium, indium, niobium, rhenium and thallium, and their alloys. The chamber 105 can be made of a semiconductor-containing material, such as silicon or a silicide. The chamber 105 can be made of a polymeric material. The polymeric material can include one or more polymers. For example, the polymeric material can include one or more of polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, polyethylene, polyisobutene, and poly[ethylene-vinylacetate] copolymer. The chamber 105 can be made of a composite material. The composite material can include, for example, reinforced plastics, ceramic matrix composites, and metal matrix composites. The chamber 105 can include a composite of flame retardant 4 (“FR4”) with copper.

The chamber 105 can have a circular, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal cross-section, or a partial shape or combination of shapes thereof. In some cases, the chamber 105 can be substantially cylindrical in shape so that it can accommodate a cylindrical beverage container. The height of the chamber 105 can be at least about 4 inches, 5 inches, 10 inches, 15 inches, 20 inches, or more. In some cases, the chamber 105 can be approximately the height of (i) a 12-ounce aluminum can, (ii) a 20-ounce bottle, or (iii) a 2-liter bottle. The diameter or length of the chamber 105 can be at least about 2 inches, 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches, 10 inches, or more. In some cases, the diameter of the chamber 105 can be slightly larger than the diameter of (i) a 12-ounce aluminum can, (ii) a 20-ounce bottle, or (iii) a 2-liter bottle so that the chamber can accommodate both a container of that size and a thermal coupling medium. The chamber 105 may be sized to hold at most a single beverage container.

The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can have a source of a thermal coupling medium in fluid communication with the chamber 105. The source can be an opening in the chamber 105 that is configured to receive the thermal coupling medium from an outside source. In some cases, the source can instead be a reservoir built into the thermoelectric cooling device. In such cases, a pump in the thermoelectric cooling device 100 can pump the thermal coupling medium from the reservoir into the chamber 105 upon activation of the thermoelectric cooling device. The thermal coupling medium can be a fluid with a high thermal conductivity. For example, the thermal coupling medium can be water, saline, or an organic compound (e.g., propylene glycol). The thermal coupling medium can surround the beverage container or other object and can thermally couple the beverage container to the walls of the chamber 105. That is, the thermal coupling medium can facilitate heat transfer between the beverage container or other object and the walls of the chamber 105.

The chamber 105 can include a drain 109 configured to drain the thermal coupling medium from the chamber 105 after the thermoelectric cooling device 100 cools a beverage container or other object. An actuator can open and close the drain 109. A controller electrically coupled to the actuator can control the actuator's motion via application of a particular magnitude, duration, and polarity of an electric voltage. A user input can trigger opening of the drain 109. For example, the exterior of the thermoelectric cooling device 100 can have a drain button that, when depressed, causes the controller to apply a voltage across the actuator to open the drain 109. Alternatively, the drain 109 can open automatically after the thermoelectric cooling device 100 completes a cooling cycle.

The drain 109 can be coupled to a removable container, e.g., on the underside of the thermoelectric cooling device 100, that collects the thermal coupling medium after it is drained from the chamber 105. A user can remove the removable container and dispose of the thermal coupling material in an appropriate manner without transporting the entire thermoelectric cooling device 100.

The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can also include a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements 110. The thermoelectric cooling elements 110 can surround the chamber 105. The thermoelectric cooling elements 110 can project from the chamber 105 to a heat sink 115. The thermoelectric cooling elements 110 can be arranged like the spokes on a wheel (i.e., in a radial direction), for example. A particular thermoelectric cooling element can be parallel to another thermoelectric cooling element. Alternatively, a particular thermoelectric cooling element may not be parallel to another thermoelectric cooling element. The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can have at least about 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or greater thermoelectric cooling elements 110.

An adhesive can coat one or both sides of the thermoelectric cooling elements 110. The adhesive can permit the thermoelectric cooling elements 110 to be securely coupled to the chamber 105 and the heat sink 115. The adhesive can be sufficiently thermally conductive.

The thermoelectric cooling elements 110 can be configured to transfer heat from the beverage container to a heat sink 115 when a voltage is applied across the thermoelectric cooling elements 110. In general, the thermoelectric cooling elements comprise an n-type semiconductor element, a p-type semiconductor element, or n-type and p-type semiconductor elements connected electrically in series but thermally in parallel, as depicted in FIG. 2.

When a voltage is applied across the thermoelectric cooling elements 110, current flows in the thermoelectric cooling elements 110 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. Specifically, holes in the p-type semiconductor elements and electrons in n-type semiconductors elements diffuse from the top side 205 to the bottom side 210. Thus, the concentration of charge carriers can increase on the bottom side 205 and can decrease on the top side 210, resulting in a transfer of heat from the top side 205 to the bottom side 210. More specifically, the decrease in the concentration of charge carriers in the metal contacts 207 on the top side 205 results in fewer charge carrier collisions with atomic ions in the metal contacts 207, which reduces their temperature.

The thermoelectric cooling elements 110 can be configured to have a large figure-of-merit (Z) to facilitate significant heat transfer between the beverage container and the heat sink 115. Z can be an indicator of coefficient-of-performance (COP) and the efficiency of the given thermoelectric element, and T can be an average temperature of the hot and the cold sides of the given thermoelectric element. The figure-of-merit (ZT) of the given thermoelectric element can be at least about 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04, 0.05, 0.06, 0.07, 0.08, 0.09, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4, 0.45 0.5, 0.55, 0.6, 0.65, 0.7, 0.75, 0.8, 0.85, 0.9, 0.95, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0 or greater at 25° C. The figure-of-merit can be from about 0.01 to 3, 0.1 to 2.5, 0.5 to 2.0 or 0.5 to 1.5 at 25° C. The figure of merit (ZT) can be a function of temperature. The ZT can increase with temperature. The thermoelectric cooling elements 110 will be described in more detail in reference to FIGS. 6-10.

Returning to FIG. 1, to dissipate the heat that accumulates in the contacts 212, the thermoelectric cooling device can include a heat sink 115. In the implementation depicted in FIG. 1, the heat sink 115 is an air-cooled heat sink.

The heat sink 115 can be made of any sufficiently thermally conductive but electrically insulating material. For example, the heat sink 115 can be made of polymer foil (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, polyimide, etc.); elastomeric polymer foil (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane, polyisoprene, natural rubber, etc.); fabric (e.g., conventional cloths, fiberglass mat, etc.); ceramic, semiconductor, or insulator foil (e.g., glass, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, etc.); insulated metal foil (e.g., anodized aluminum or titanium, coated copper or steel, etc.); or combinations thereof.

The heat sink 115 can include a plurality of fins 117 that extend radially away from the thermoelectric cooling device and provide an increased heat transfer area, i.e., surface area. Gaps can separate the plurality of fins 117 to facilitate convective cooling.

In the implementation depicted in FIG. 1, the body of the thermoelectric cooling device 100 is triangular in shape and consequently includes three heat sinks, i.e., one on each side of the body of the thermoelectric cooling device 100. However, in alternative implementations, the body of the thermoelectric cooling device 100 has a square, rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal shape. In such implementations, the thermoelectric cooling device 100 can have 4, 4, 5, or 6 heat sinks, respectively. In general, the heat sinks 115 can be larger than the chamber 105 because more heat is released into the environment than is pulled out of the beverage container.

The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can also include one or more fans 120. Generally, the number of fans 120 can correspond to the number of heat sinks 115. The fans 120 can draw hot air away from the heat sinks 115.

The thermoelectric device 100 can also include insulation 130 to insulate the chamber 105 from the heat sinks 115. The insulation 130 can be made of any thermally insulating material. For example, the insulation 130 can be made of fiberglass or ceramic.

Although not depicted in FIG. 1, in some implementations, the thermoelectric cooling device 100 includes a user interface. The user interface can include, for example, a power button, a drain button, a programmable timer, and a programmable thermostat. A user can use the power button to turn the thermoelectric cooling device 100 on or off, the drain button to drain the thermal coupling medium from the chamber 105 after a cooling cycle is complete, the programmable timer to set a cooling cycle length, and the thermostat to set a desired beverage temperature.

Alternatively or additionally, the user interface can include an electronic display, e.g., a screen. The screen can be accompanied by one or more speakers. The electronic display and speakers can be configured to provide visual and audible information and instructions to the user. The screen can be a touchscreen. The touchscreen can be a capacitive or resistive touch screen configured to receive user input that activates or operates the thermoelectric cooling device.

A controller can electrically couple the user interface to the thermoelectric cooling elements 110 and to the drain 109. The controller can include memory and a central processing unit (CPU). The memory can store programmable settings such as timer settings and thermoset settings. The CPU can compute the amount and duration of current that can be provided to the thermoelectric cooling elements 110 to cool the beverage container to a desired temperature in a specified amount of time. The controller can then provide that amount and duration of current to the thermoelectric cooling elements 110. The controller can also provide a particular polarity of electric voltage to the actuator to open or close the drain 109.

The memory can include a variety of computer-readable memory that may be read by the CPU. For example, the memory may include computer storage media in the form of volatile and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). A basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements, such as during start-up, is typically stored in ROM. RAM typically contains data and/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit 160. The data or program modules may include an operating system, application programs, other program modules, and program data. The operating system may be or include a variety of operating systems such as Microsoft WINDOWS operating system, the Unix operating system, the Linux operating system, the Xenix operating system, the IBM AIX operating system, the Hewlett Packard UX operating system, the Novell NETWARE operating system, the Sun Microsystems SOLARIS operating system, the OS/2 operating system, the BeOS operating system, the MACINTOSH operating system, the APACHE operating system, an OPENSTEP operating system or another operating system of platform.

Any suitable programming language may be used to implement the functions described herein. Illustratively, the programming language used may include assembly language, Ada, APL, Basic, C, C++, C*, COBOL, dBase, Forth, FORTRAN, Java, Modula-2, Pascal, Prolog, Python, REXX, and/or JavaScript for example. In some cases, a single type of instruction or programming language may be utilized in conjunction with the operation of systems and techniques disclosed herein. In other cases, a single type of instruction or programming language may not be utilized in conjunction with the operation of systems and techniques disclosed herein. Rather, any number of different programming languages may be utilized.

The computing environment may also include other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media. For example, a hard disk drive may read or write to non-removable, nonvolatile magnetic media. A magnetic disk drive may read from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk, and an optical disk drive may read from or write to a removable, nonvolatile optical disk such as a CD-ROM or other optical media. Other removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The storage media are typically connected to the system bus through a removable or non-removable memory interface.

The CPU may be a general-purpose computer processor, but may utilize any of a wide variety of other technologies including special-purpose hardware, a microcomputer, mini-computer, mainframe computer, programmed micro-processor, micro-controller, peripheral integrated circuit element, a CSIC (Customer Specific Integrated Circuit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a logic circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), PLD (Programmable Logic Device), PLA (Programmable Logic Array), RFID processor, smart chip, or any other device or arrangement of devices that is capable of implementing the steps of the processes disclosed herein.

The thermoelectric cooling device 100 can also include a direct current (DC) power source that provides DC current to the thermoelectric cooling elements, the controller, and the user interface. The controller can control precisely how much current the thermoelectric cooling elements 110 receive so that they cool the beverage container to a specified temperature in a specified amount of time. The DC power source can be a battery, e.g., a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, or it can be an adapter or power supply that converts alternating (AC) current from main power to DC current.

More portable and compact implementations of the thermoelectric cooling device 100 may omit the heat sinks 115 and the fans 120. Instead, the thermoelectric cooling device 100 may have a single, air-cooled heat sink. The air-cooled heat sink may be a heat exchange surface with a heat pipe. The heat exchange surface may be disposed on the bottom surface of the thermoelectric cooling device 100. The thermoelectric cooling device 100 may also have fewer thermoelectric elements to further reduce the size of the thermoelectric cooling device.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the thermoelectric device 100 depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 more clearly depicts the fans 120 and the heat sinks 115. As more clearly illustrated in FIG. 3, the chamber 105 of the thermoelectric device 100 can have a top opening that facilitates easy insertion of a beverage container into the chamber 105. In some implementations, the chamber 105 has a lid, which can facilitate faster cooling.

FIG. 4 is a top view of an example thermoelectric cooling device 400. FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the thermoelectric cooling device 400. The thermoelectric cooling device 400 can have some or all of the components and capabilities of the thermoelectric cooling device 100, except that the thermoelectric cooling device 400 can have a liquid-cooled heat sink 415. The heat sink 415 can include one or more pipes 417 that can hold coolant. The pipes 417 can be made of a thermally conductive material such as copper. The thermoelectric cooling device 400 can include, as depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5, two pipes 417 per side of the thermoelectric cooling device 400. In alternative implementations, the thermoelectric cooling device 400 can have more or fewer pipes. In some implementations, the pipes 417 are connected to form a closed loop. In some implementations, a compressor can cause the coolant to continuously flow in the pipes 417. The coolant can be a fluid with a high thermal capacity and a low viscosity. For example, the coolant can be air, helium, water, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or propylene glycol.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a thermoelectric element 600 having an array of holes 601 (select holes circled), in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The array of holes can be referred to as a “nanomesh” herein. FIGS. 7 and 8 are perspective top and side views of the thermoelectric element 600. The element 600 can be an n-type or p-type element, as described elsewhere herein. The array of holes 601 may include individual holes 601 a that can have widths from several nanometers or less up to microns, millimeters or more. The holes may have widths (or diameters, if circular) (“d”) between about 1 nm and 500 nm, or 5 nm and 100 nm, or 10 nm and 30 nm. The holes can have lengths (“L”) from about several nanometers or less up to microns, millimeters or more. The holes may have lengths between about 0.5 microns and 1 centimeter, or 1 micron and 500 millimeters, or 10 microns and 1 millimeter.

The holes 601 a may be formed in a substrate 600 a. The substrate 600 a may be a solid state material, such as e.g., carbon (e.g., graphite or graphene), silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium arsenide, silicides, silicon germanium, bismuth telluride, lead telluride, oxides (e.g., SiOx, where ‘x’ is a number greater than zero), gallium nitride and tellurium silver germanium antimony (TAGS) containing alloys. For example, the substrate 600 a can be a Group IV material (e.g., silicon or germanium) or a Group III-V material (e.g., gallium arsenide). The substrate 600 a may be formed of a semiconductor material comprising one or more semiconductors. The semiconductor material can be doped n-type or p-type for n-type or p-type elements, respectively.

The holes 601 a may be filled with a gas, such as He, Ne, Ar, N₂, H₂, CO₂, O₂, or a combination thereof In other cases, the holes 601 a may be under vacuum. Alternatively, the holes may be filled (e.g., partially filled or completely filled) with a semiconductor material, an insulating (or dielectric) material, or a gas (e.g., He, Ar, H₂, N₂, CO₂).

A first end 602 and second end 603 of the element 600 can be in contact with a substrate having a semiconductor-containing material, such as silicon or a silicide. The substrate can aid in providing an electrical contact to an electrode on each end 602 and 603. Alternatively, the substrate can be precluded, and the first end 602 and second end 603 can be in contact with a first electrode (not shown) and a second electrode (not shown), respectively.

The holes 601 a may be substantially monodisperse. Monodisperse holes may have substantially the same size, shape and/or distribution (e.g., cross-sectional distribution). The holes 601 a may be distributed in domains of holes of various sizes, such that the holes 601 a may be not necessarily monodisperse. For example, the holes 601 a may be polydisperse. Polydisperse holes can have shapes, sizes and/or orientations that deviate from one another by at least about 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50%. The thermoelectric element 600 may include a first set of holes with a first diameter and a second set of holes with a second diameter. The first diameter may be larger than the second diameter. In other cases, the device 600 may include two or more sets of holes with different diameters.

The holes 601 a can have various packing arrangements. The holes 601 a, when viewed from the top (see FIG. 7), may have a hexagonal close-packing arrangement. The holes 601 a in the array of holes 601 may have a center-to-center spacing between about 1 nm and 500 nm, or 5 nm and 100 nm, or 10 nm and 30 nm. The center-to-center spacing may be the same, which may be the case for monodisperse holes 601 a. The center-to-center spacing can be different for groups of holes with various diameters and/or arrangements.

The dimensions (lengths, widths) and packing arrangement of the holes 601, and the material and doping configuration (e.g., doping concentration) of the thermoelectric element 600 can be selected to effect a predetermined electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric element 600. For instance, the diameters and packing configuration of the holes 601 can be selected to minimize the thermal conductivity, and the doping concentration can be selected to maximize the electrical conductivity of the thermoelectric element 600.

The array of holes 601 can have an aspect ratio (e.g., the length of the element 600 divided by width of an individual hole 601 a) of at least about 1.5:1, or 2:1, or 5:1, or 10:1, or 20:1, or 50:1, or 100:1, or 1000:1, or 5,000:1, or 10,000:1, or 100,000:1, or 1,000,000:1, or 10,000,000:1, or 100,000,000:1, or more.

The holes 601 can be ordered and have uniform sizes and distributions. As an alternative, the holes 601 may not be ordered and may not have a uniform distribution. For example, the holes 601 can be disordered such that there is no long range order for the pattern of holes 601. In some embodiments, thermoelectric elements can include an array of wires. The array of wires can include individual wires that are, for example, rod-like structures.

As an alternative to the array of holes of the element 600, the holes may not be ordered and may not have a uniform distribution. In some examples, there is no long range order with respect to the holes. The holes may intersect each other in random directions. The holes may include intersecting holes, such as secondary holes that project from the holes in various directions. The secondary holes may have additional secondary holes. The holes may have various sizes and may be aligned along various directions, which may be random and not uniform.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective top view of a thermoelectric element 600, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective top view of the thermoelectric element 900. The thermoelectric element 900 may be used with devices, systems and methods provided herein. The thermoelectric element 900 may include an array of wires 901 having individual wires 901 a. The wires may have widths (or diameters, if circular) (“d”) between about 1 nm and 500 nm, or 5 nm and 100 nm, or 10 nm and 30 nm. The wires can have lengths (“L”) from about several nanometers or less up to microns, millimeters or more. The wires may have lengths between about 0.5 microns and 1 centimeter, or 1 micron and 500 millimeters, or 10 microns and 1 millimeter.

The wires 901 a may be substantially monodisperse. Monodisperse wires may have substantially the same size, shape and/or distribution (e.g., cross-sectional distribution). The wires 901 a may be distributed in domains of wires of various sizes, such that the wires 901 a may not be necessarily monodisperse. For example, the wires 901 a may be polydisperse. Polydisperse wires can have shapes, sizes and/or orientations that deviate from one another by at least about 0.1%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50%.

The wires 901 a in the array of wires 901 may have a center-to-center spacing between about 1 nm and 500 nm, or 5 nm and 100 nm, or 10 nm and 30 nm. The center-to-center spacing may be the same, which may be the case for monodisperse wires 901. The center-to-center spacing can be different for groups of wires with various diameters and/or arrangements.

The wires 901 a may be formed of a solid state material, such as a semiconductor material, such as, e.g., silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium arsenide, silicide alloys, alloys of silicon germanium, bismuth telluride, lead telluride, oxides (e.g., SiOx, where ‘x’ is a number greater than zero), gallium nitride and tellurium silver germanium antimony (TAGS) containing alloys. The wires 901 a can be formed of other materials disclosed herein. The wires 901 a can be doped with an n-type dopant or a p-type dopant.

The wires 901 a may be attached to semiconductor substrates at a first end 902 and second end 903 of the thermoelectric element 900. The semiconductor substrates can have the n-type or p- type doping configuration of the individual wires 901 a. The wires 901 a at the first end 902 and second end 903 may not be attached to semiconductor substrates, but can be attached to electrodes. For instance, a first electrode (not shown) can be in electrical contact with the first end 902 and a second electrode can be electrical contact with the second end 903.

With reference to FIG. 10, space 904 between the wires 901 a may be filled with a vacuum or various materials. The wires may be laterally separated from one another by an electrically insulating material, such as a silicon dioxide, germanium dioxide, gallium arsenic oxide, spin on glass, and other insulators deposited using, for example, vapor phase deposition, such as chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition. The wires may be laterally separated from one another by vacuum or a gas, such as He, Ne, Ar, N₂, H₂, CO₂, O₂, or a combination thereof.

The array of wires 901 can have an aspect ratio—length of the thermoelectric element 900 divided by width of an individual wire 901 a—of at least about 1.5:1, or 2:1, or 5:1, or 10:1, or 20:1, or 50:1, or 100:1, or 1000:1, or 5,000:1, or 10,000:1, or 100,000:1, or 1,000,000:1, or 10,000,000:1, or 100,000,000:1, or more. The length of the thermoelectric element 900 and the length of an individual wire 901 a may be substantially the same.

As an alternative to the array of wires of the thermoelectric element 900, the wires may not be ordered and may not have a uniform distribution. There may be no long range order with respect to the wires. The wires may intersect each other in random directions. The wires may have various sizes and may be aligned along various directions, which may be random and not uniform.

As another alternative, a thermoelectric element may not include holes or wires (e.g., the thermoelectric may be non-porous). Such a thermoelectric element may be formed of a solid state material, such as, for example, carbon (e.g., graphite or graphene), silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium arsenide, silicides, silicon germanium, bismuth telluride, lead telluride, oxides (e.g., SiOx, where ‘x’ is a number greater than zero), gallium nitride and tellurium silver germanium antimony (TAGS) containing alloys. Such a thermoelectric element may be formed by doping a solid state material, for example. As another example, such a thermoelectric element may be formed according to methods disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0380175, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

As another alternative, a thermoelectric element may be formed according to methods disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0280099, which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a commercial implementation of a thermoelectric cooling device for rapidly cooling a beverage container. The thermoelectric cooling device can have a lower volume 1205, an upper volume 1210, a cylindrical element 1215, a window 1220, and a display panel 1225.

The lower volume 1205 can be the base of the thermoelectric cooling device. The lower volume 1205 can hold the power electronics of the thermoelectric cooling device, e.g., an AC-to-DC converter, a DC-to-DC converter, control and switching circuitry, and the like. The upper volume 1210 can hold heat sinks and ventilation components that are configured to dissipate heat away from the beverage container and route hot air away from the thermoelectric cooling device. In some implementations, the back face of the upper volume 1210 can have vents for expelling the hot air.

The cylindrical element 1215 can include a chamber configured to hold the beverage container and thermoelectric cooling elements configured to transfer heat from the beverage container to the heat sinks in the upper volume 1210 upon application of power to the thermoelectric cooling elements. The cylindrical element 1215 can also include at least one actuator configured to rotate the beverage container in the chamber. The actuator can be a motor. Rotating the beverage container can ensure that heat dissipates uniformly from the beverage container, e.g., that no two points in the beverage container differ by more than about 10° C., 9° C., 8° C., 7° C., 6° C., 5° C., 4° C., 3° C., 2° C., or less. Rotating the beverage container can also cause the thermal coupling medium to circulate, which can ensure that heat is uniformly distributed in the thermal coupling medium. The cylindrical element 1215 can also include a reservoir configured to store a thermal coupling medium. A mechanical pump also disposed in the cylindrical element 1215 can pump the thermal coupling medium into the chamber during cooling cycles. The thermal coupling medium can thermally couple the beverage container to the chamber walls to facilitate heat exchange between the beverage container and the chamber walls.

The window 1220 can be disposed in the top of the upper volume 1210. The window 1220 can allow a user to watch the beverage container while it is cooled. This can provide a more interactive user experience.

The display panel 1225 can be disposed in the front face of the upper volume 1210. The display panel 1225 can display the time, date, and information about the cooling process, e.g., an amount of time until the cooling process is complete and a current temperature of the beverage container. The display panel 1225 can be or include a user interface. For example, the display panel 1225 can be a capacitive or resistive touchscreen, and the thermoelectric cooling device can have a touchscreen-based operating system. The touchscreen can allow a user to start a cooling cycle, set a cooling cycle length, set a desired beverage temperature, and/or drain a thermal coupling medium from the chamber of the thermoelectric cooling device after a cooling cycle is complete.

In some implementations, a user interface can instead be disposed adjacent to the display panel 1225. The user interface can include a plurality of buttons and knobs. The buttons and knobs can enable a user to control the thermoelectric cooling device as described above.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 12. FIG. 13 depicts the display panel 1225.

FIG. 14 is a back view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 12. The upper volume 1210 can include vents 1230 configured to dissipate heat from the thermoelectric cooling device.

FIG. 15 is a second isometric view of the thermoelectric cooling device of FIG. 12. The thermoelectric cooling device can include a release 1235. The release 1235 can be used to drain the thermal coupling medium from the chamber. The bottom of the chamber can have a valve that can open and close to facilitate movement of the thermal coupling medium from the chamber to the drain. The release 1235 can be lower than the valve so that the thermal coupling medium can be drained without any pumping.

FIG. 16A is a top view of an example thermoelectric cooling device 1600. The thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can rapidly cool a beverage container such as an aluminum can, a glass bottle, or a plastic bottle by maintaining a thermal coupling medium at a temperature below ambient temperature. The ambient temperature may be 25 degrees Celsius at an ambient pressure of at least 1 atmosphere (i.e., atmospheric pressure at sea level). This can enable rapid cooling of the beverage container using fewer thermoelectric elements and less power. In general, the thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can operate in substantially the same way and be made of substantially the same components and materials as the thermoelectric cooling devices previously described in this disclosure. The following paragraphs describe certain differences between the thermoelectric cooling device 1600 and the previously described thermoelectric cooling devices.

The thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can include a chamber 1605 that is configured to hold the beverage container and a thermal coupling medium. The thermal coupling medium can surround the beverage container and thermally couple the beverage container to the walls of the chamber 1605. By maintaining the thermal coupling medium at a temperature below ambient temperature, the thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can more quickly cool a beverage container with fewer thermoelectric elements and less power. The thermoelectric cooling device can maintain the thermal coupling medium at least about 2 degrees Celsius (° C.), 3° C., 4° C., 5° C., 6° C., 7° C., 8° C., 9° C., 10° C., 15° C., 20° C. or more below ambient temperature.

The chamber 1605 can include drains 1609. The drains 1609 can be used to periodically drain and replace the thermal coupling medium. The chamber 1605 can also include a beverage can holder 1611. The beverage can holder 1611 can be disposed within the chamber 1605. The holders 1613 can hold the beverage can in place. In some cases, the beverage can holder 1611 may be able to rotate freely within the chamber 1605. In such cases, at least one actuator can rotate the beverage can holder 1611 to ensure that the beverage container is cooled uniformly. The actuator can be a motor.

The thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can also include a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements 1610 similar to the thermoelectric cooling elements 110 described in reference to FIG. 1. The thermoelectric cooling elements 1610 can be configured to transfer heat from the beverage container to heat sinks 1615 when a voltage is applied across the thermoelectric cooling elements 1610.

The heat sinks 1615 can be made of any sufficiently thermally conductive but electrically insulating material. For example, the heat sinks 1615 can be made of polymer foil (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polystyrene, polyimide, etc.); elastomeric polymer foil (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane, polyisoprene, natural rubber, etc.); fabric (e.g., conventional cloths, fiberglass mat, etc.); ceramic, semiconductor, or insulator foil (e.g., glass, silicon, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, etc.); insulated metal foil (e.g., anodized aluminum or titanium, coated copper or steel, etc.); or combinations thereof.

The heat sinks 1615 can be liquid-cooled heat sinks that have pipes that hold and circulate coolant. The pipes can be made of a thermally conductive material such as copper. In some implementations, a compressor can cause the coolant to circulate through the pipes. The coolant can be a fluid with a high thermal capacity and a low viscosity. For example, the coolant can be air, helium, water, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or propylene glycol. The thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can include at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more heat sinks 1615. The heat sinks 1615 can instead be air-cooled heat sinks with fans as previously described in this disclosure.

Although not depicted in FIG. 16, the thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can include a user interface. The user interface can perform substantially the same functions as the user interface described in reference to FIG. 1. A controller can electrically couple the user interface to the thermoelectric cooling elements 1610 and to the drain 1609. The controller can include memory and a central processing unit (CPU). The memory and CPU can be similar to the memory and CPU previously described in this disclosure.

The thermoelectric cooling device 1600 can also include a direct current (DC) power source that provides DC current to the thermoelectric cooling elements, the controller, and the user interface. The controller can control precisely how much current the thermoelectric cooling elements 1610 receive so that they cool the beverage container to a specified temperature in a specified amount of time. The DC power source can be a battery, e.g., a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, or it can be an adapter or power supply that converts alternating (AC) current from main power to DC current.

FIG. 16B is an isometric view of the thermoelectric cooling device 1600. From this view, an actuator 1620 is visible. The actuator 1620 can cause the beverage can holder 1610 to rotate within the chamber 1605. The actuator 1620 can be a motor.

FIG. 17A is an isometric view of a “pour-in” thermoelectric cooling device 1700. The thermoelectric cooling device 1700 can be used to cool a liquid directly.

The thermoelectric cooling device 1700 can have a chamber 1705. The chamber 1705 can be a rectangular prism with a length and a width that are substantially greater than its thickness. Alternatively, the chamber 1705 can have another shape that has a large surface area to volume ratio (e.g., a tetrahedron). In some cases, the large faces or sides of the chamber 1705 may be at least about two, three, four five, six, or more time larger than the remaining faces or sides. The shape of the chamber 1705 can facilitate rapid cooling of a liquid within the chamber 1705 as a result of the large surface area of liquid exposed directly to thermoelectric cooling elements.

FIG. 17B is a top view of the thermoelectric cooling device 1700. As depicted, the top of the chamber 1705 can have one or more bores 1707 for receiving a liquid to cool. Each bore can be connected to the chamber 1705. Alternatively, the chamber 1705 can include two or more distinct chambers, and each bore 1707 can be connected to a different one of the two or more distinct chambers, which can allow the thermoelectric cooling device 1700 to cool multiple different liquids at once.

Thermoelectric coolers 1710 can be disposed on either or both large sides of the chamber 1705. The thermoelectric coolers 1710 can be made of the thermoelectric cooling elements described previously in this disclosure. The thermoelectric coolers 1710 can be configured to transfer heat from the liquid in the chamber 1705 to heat sinks 1715 when power in provided to the thermoelectric coolers. The heat sinks 1715 can be disposed on the outside of the thermoelectric coolers 1710. The heat sinks 1715 can be made of any sufficiently thermally conductive material. The heat sinks 1715 can be air-cooled or liquid-cooled. Air-cooled heat sinks can include one or more fans. The fans can draw hot air away from the heat sinks 1715. Liquid-cooled heat sinks can have one or pipes filled with coolant. A compressor can force circulation of the coolant in the one or more pipes.

The bottom of the chamber 1705 can have a tap 1717. The tap 1717 can be used to drain the cooled liquid from the chamber 1705. The tap can have a valve that can be controlled by a button or a user interface.

In general, other than the features described above, the thermoelectric cooling device 1700 can operate in substantially the same way and be made of substantially the same components and materials as the previously described implementations of the thermoelectric cooling device. For example, the chamber 1705, the thermoelectric coolers 1710, and the heat sinks 1715 can be made of any of the same materials as the corresponding components in the other implementations of the thermoelectric cooling device. Additionally, the thermoelectric cooling device 1700 can include an electronic display or user interface.

In some implementations, the thermoelectric cooling device 1700 can be used to make ice cores. In such implementations, the chamber 1705 can include two or more distinct chambers, and each bore 1707 can be connected to a different one of the two or more distinct chambers, which can allow the thermoelectric cooling device 1700 to make multiple ice cores at the same time. A user can pour water into the bores 1707, activate the thermoelectric cooling device 1700, and allow the thermoelectric cooling device to cool the water below its freezing point, resulting in ice cores.

Applications of Thermoelectric Cooling Devices

The thermoelectric cooling devices described in the present disclosure can be integrated into a refrigerator or a freezer. For example, the thermoelectric cooling devices can be disposed in the door of a refrigerator in a similar manner to a water or ice dispenser. The chamber, thermoelectric cooling elements, and heat sink of the thermoelectric cooling devices can be positioned within or behind the door of the refrigerator, and an opening on the front face of the door can provide a user easy access to the chamber.

The opening can have a door. The door can have hinges, a fastening component and a seal. The hinges can be positioned on the top, bottom, or side of the door and can allow the door to open and close. The fastening component can secure the door in a closed position during operation of the thermoelectric cooling device. The fastening component can be a clamp, a latch, a flange, or the like. The seal can thermally isolate the chamber of the thermoelectric cooling device from the environment. The seal can be a strip of insulating material disposed along each side of the door and/or along each side of the body of the thermoelectric cooling device. The seal can be made of fiberglass, ceramic, rubber, or another insulating material. The seal can be coated with an adhesive to aid the fastening component in securing the door in a closed position during operation of the thermoelectric device.

The chamber of the thermoelectric device can be configured to hold an object to be cooled. The object can be a beverage container, food, or the like. The chamber can have a circular, triangular, rectangular, pentagonal, or hexagonal cross-section. In some cases, the chamber can be substantially cylindrical in shape so that it can accommodate a cylindrical beverage container. The height of the chamber can be at least about 4 inches, 5 inches, 10 inches, 15 inches, 20 inches, or more. In some cases, the chamber can be approximately the height of (i) a 12-ounce aluminum can, (ii) a 20-ounce bottle, or (iii) a 2-liter bottle. The diameter or length of the chamber can be at least about 2 inches, about 3 inches, 4 inches, 5 inches, 10 inches, or more. In some cases, the diameter of the chamber can be slightly larger than the diameter of (i) a 12-ounce aluminum can, (ii) a 20-ounce bottle, or (iii) a 2-liter bottle so that the chamber can accommodate both a container of that size and a thermal coupling medium.

The chamber can be oriented vertically, i.e., so that a beverage container can be placed upright in the chamber, or the chamber can be oriented horizontally, i.e., so that a beverage container can be place on its side.

The door of the refrigerator or freezer can have a user interface configured to control the thermoelectric cooling device. The user interface can be similar to the user interface of the thermoelectric cooling device described in reference to FIG. 1. The user interface can include, for example, an activation button, a programmable timer, and a programmable thermostat. A user can use the activation button to start the thermoelectric cooling device, the programmable timer to set a cooling cycle length, and the thermostat to set a desired beverage temperature. Alternatively or additionally, the user interface can include an electronic display, e.g., a screen. The screen can be accompanied by one or more speakers. The electronic display and speakers can be configured to provide visual and audible information and instructions to the user. The electronic display can be a touchscreen. The touchscreen can be a capacitive or resistive touch screen configured to receive user input that activates or operates the thermoelectric cooling device.

A controller can electrically couple the user interface to the thermoelectric cooling device. The controller can include memory and a central processing unit (CPU). The memory can store programmable settings such as timer settings and thermoset settings. The CPU can compute the amount and duration of current that can be provided to the thermoelectric cooling elements to cool the object in the container to the desired temperature in a specified amount of time. The controller can then provide that amount and duration of current to the thermoelectric cooling elements.

The thermoelectric cooling device can be electrically coupled to the electric system of the refrigerator so the thermoelectric cooling device and the refrigerator can use the same power source. Similarly, the heat sink of the thermoelectric cooling device can share a heat expelling unit with the refrigerator.

In some implementations, the thermoelectric cooling device can be integrated into the interior of the refrigerator. For example, the thermoelectric cooling device can be disposed on a shelf in the refrigerator. In such implementations, the thermoelectric cooling device can be controlled by a user interface that is built into the door of the refrigerator or one that is disposed within the refrigerator.

The thermoelectric cooling devices provided in the present disclosure can alternatively or additionally be integrated into a vending machine. For example, a thermoelectric cooling device can be disposed in or near the drink dispensing slot of a vending machine. When a user purchases a drink, the drink can drop into the chamber of the thermoelectric cooling device through an opening in the top the device. After the drink is cooled, the chamber of the thermoelectric cooling device can actuate out of the vending machine, allowing a user to retrieve the drink.

The thermoelectric cooling device can have any of the features or dimensions described above. The vending machine can have some or all of the same features as the refrigerator, e.g., a user interface configured to control the thermoelectric cooling device. The thermoelectric cooling device can be electrically coupled to the electric system of the vending machine so the thermoelectric cooling device and the vending machine can use the same power source. Similarly, the heat sink of the thermoelectric cooling device can share a heat expelling unit with the vending machine.

The use of a thermoelectric cooling device in a vending machine can save significantly on refrigeration costs. Instead of continuously cooling all of the drinks in a vending machine, use of the thermoelectric cooling device can allow a drink to be cooled only once, immediately after it is purchased. Other than the thermoelectric cooling device, the vending machine may not have refrigeration system.

The thermoelectric cooling device can alternatively or additionally be integrated into or attached to the outside of a portable cooler. Such a thermoelectric cooling device can have the features and dimensions described above. A thermoelectric cooling device that is integrated into a cooler can get power from rechargeable batteries.

The thermoelectric cooling devices described in this disclosure can alternatively or additionally be used to heat a beverage container or other object. The thermoelectric cooling elements can be arranged in the opposite direction of FIG. 2 to achieve such heating.

Methods for Forming Thermoelectric Devices

The heat sink or the chambers may be formed by using one or more manufacturing techniques. The one or more manufacturing techniques may include subtractive manufacturing, injection molding, blow molding, or additive manufacturing processes such as 3D printing. The subtractive manufacturing may be used to create the heat sink or the chamber by successively cutting material away from a solid block of material. The injection molding may comprise a high pressure injection of raw materials into one or more molds. The one or more molds may shape the raw material into the desired shape of the heat sink or chamber. The blow molding may comprise multiple steps. The multiple steps may comprise melting down the raw material, forming the raw material into a parison, placing the parison into a mold, and air blowing through the parison to push the material out to match the mold. The additive manufacturing processes may be used to create the heat sink or the chamber by laying down successive layers of material, each of which can be seen as a thinly sliced horizontal cross-section of the target heat sink or chamber.

The heat sink and the chamber may be manufactured as a single (or unitary) piece, thus no assembly may be required. The heat sink and the chamber may be manufactured as two pieces, thus at least one assembly step may be required. The two pieces may be manufactured separately. The two pieces may be manufactured simultaneously. The heat sink and the chamber may be manufactured as three pieces, thus multiple assembly steps may be required. The multiple assembly steps may include at least two, three, four, or more steps. The heat sink and the chamber may be manufactured as more than three pieces.

A thermoelectric cooling element can be formed using electrochemical etching. The thermoelectric cooling element may be formed by cathodic or anodic etching, in some cases without the use of a catalyst. The thermoelectric cooling element can be formed without use of a metallic catalysis. The thermoelectric cooling element can be formed without providing a metallic coating on a surface of a substrate to be etched. This can also be performed using purely electrochemical anodic etching and suitable etch solutions and electrolytes. As an alternative, a thermoelectric can be formed using metal catalyzed electrochemical etching in suitable etch solutions and electrolytes, as described in, for example, PCT/US2012/047021, filed Jul. 17, 2012, PCT/US2013/021900, filed Jan. 17, 2013, PCT/US2013/055462, filed Aug. 16, 2013, PCT/US2013/067346, filed Oct. 29, 2013, each of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.

A thermoelectric cooling element can be formed using one or more sintering processes. The one or more sintering processes comprise spark plasma sintering, electro sinter forging, pressureless sintering, microwave sintering, and liquid phase sintering. The spark plasma sintering may be conducted by using a spark plasma sintering instrument. The spark plasma sintering instrument may apply external pressure and an electric field simultaneously to enhance the densification of a precursor of the thermoelectric element. The spark plasma sintering instrument may use a direct current (DC) pulse as the electric current to create spark plasma and spark impact pressure.

The chamber, the thermoelectric cooling elements, and/or the heat sink may be assembled with surface-mount technology. Surface-mount technology may be used to place the thermoelectric cooling elements on the chamber and/or the heat sink.

Computer Control Systems

The present disclosure provides computer control systems that are programmed or otherwise configured to implement methods of the disclosure. FIG. 11 shows a computer system 1101 that is programmed or otherwise configured to control thermoelectric generators of the present disclosure. The computer system 1101 can be part of an electronic device of a user. The electronic device can be a mobile electronic device.

The computer system 1101 includes a central processing unit (CPU, also “processor” and “computer processor” herein) 1105, which can be a single core or multi core processor, or a plurality of processors for parallel processing. The computer system 1101 also includes memory or memory location 1110 (e.g., random-access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), electronic storage unit 1115 (e.g., hard disk), communication interface 1120 (e.g., network adapter) for communicating with one or more other systems, and peripheral devices 1125, such as cache, other memory, data storage and/or electronic display adapters. The memory 1110, storage unit 1115, interface 1120 and peripheral devices 1125 are in communication with the CPU 1105 through a communication bus (solid lines), such as a motherboard. The storage unit 1115 can be a data storage unit (or data repository) for storing data. The computer system 1101 can be operatively coupled to a computer network (“network”) 1130 with the aid of the communication interface 1120. The network 1130 can be the Internet, an internet and/or extranet, or an intranet and/or extranet that is in communication with the Internet. The network 1130 in some cases is a telecommunication and/or data network. The network 1130 can include one or more computer servers, which can enable distributed computing, such as cloud computing. The network 1130, in some cases with the aid of the computer system 1101, can implement a peer-to-peer network, which may enable devices coupled to the computer system 1101 to behave as a client or a server.

The CPU 1105 can execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, which can be embodied in a program or software. The instructions may be stored in a memory location, such as the memory 1110. The instructions can be directed to the CPU 1105, which can subsequently program or otherwise configure the CPU 1105 to implement methods of the present disclosure. Examples of operations performed by the CPU 1105 can include fetch, decode, execute, and writeback.

The CPU 1105 can be part of a circuit, such as an integrated circuit. One or more other components of the system 1101 can be included in the circuit. In some cases, the circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

The storage unit 1115 can store files, such as drivers, libraries and saved programs. The storage unit 1115 can store user data, e.g., user preferences and user programs. The computer system 1101 in some cases can include one or more additional data storage units that are external to the computer system 1101, such as located on a remote server that is in communication with the computer system 1101 through an intranet or the Internet.

The computer system 1101 can communicate with one or more remote computer systems through the network 1130. For instance, the computer system 1101 can communicate with a remote computer system of a user. Examples of remote computer systems include personal computers (e.g., portable PC), slate or tablet PC's (e.g., Apple® iPad, Samsung® Galaxy Tab), telephones, Smart phones (e.g., Apple® iPhone, Android-enabled device, Blackberry®), or personal digital assistants. The user can access the computer system 1101 via the network 1130.

Methods as described herein can be implemented by way of machine (e.g., computer processor) executable code stored on an electronic storage location of the computer system 1101, such as, for example, on the memory 1110 or electronic storage unit 1115. The machine executable or machine readable code can be provided in the form of software. During use, the code can be executed by the processor 1105. In some cases, the code can be retrieved from the storage unit 1115 and stored on the memory 1110 for ready access by the processor 1105. In some situations, the electronic storage unit 1115 can be precluded, and machine-executable instructions are stored on memory 1110.

The code can be pre-compiled and configured for use with a machine having a processer adapted to execute the code, or can be compiled during runtime. The code can be supplied in a programming language that can be selected to enable the code to execute in a pre-compiled or as-compiled fashion.

Aspects of the systems and methods provided herein, such as the computer system 1101, can be embodied in programming. Various aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of machine (or processor) executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. Machine-executable code can be stored on an electronic storage unit, such as memory (e.g., read-only memory, random-access memory, flash memory) or a hard disk. “Storage” type media can include any or all of the tangible memory of the computers, processors or the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide non-transitory storage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of the software may at times be communicated through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another, for example, from a management server or host computer into the computer platform of an application server. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible “storage” media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.

Hence, a machine readable medium, such as computer-executable code, may take many forms, including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like, such as may be used to implement the databases, etc. shown in the drawings. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission media may take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer may read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.

The computer system 1101 can include or be in communication with an electronic display 1135 that comprises a user interface (UI) 1140 for providing, for example, information regarding the manufacturing of the thermoelectric generator. Examples of UI's include, without limitation, a graphical user interface (GUI) and web-based user interface.

Methods and systems of the present disclosure can be implemented by way of one or more algorithms. An algorithm can be implemented by way of software upon execution by the central processing unit 1105.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. It is not intended that the invention be limited by the specific examples provided within the specification. While the invention has been described with reference to the aforementioned specification, the descriptions and illustrations of the embodiments herein are not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Furthermore, it shall be understood that all aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific depictions, configurations or relative proportions set forth herein which depend upon a variety of conditions and variables. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the invention shall also cover any such alternatives, modifications, variations or equivalents. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby. 

1. A system for cooling a beverage container, comprising: a chamber configured to hold said beverage container; at least one actuator configured to rotate said beverage container within said chamber; a source of a thermal coupling medium in fluid communication with said chamber, wherein said thermal coupling medium is configured to thermally couple said beverage container to one or more walls of said chamber; a heat sink; and a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements surrounding said chamber, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements is configured to transfer heat from said beverage container to said heat sink upon application of power to said plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements, thereby cooling said beverage container.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said chamber is substantially cylindrical in shape.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said chamber is sized to hold at most a single beverage container.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a drain for draining said thermal coupling medium from said chamber.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein said heat sink comprises a thermally conductive material.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein said heat sink is an air-cooled heat sink comprising one or more fans. (Original) The system of claim 1, wherein said heat sink is a liquid-cooled heat sink.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric elements comprises an n-type semiconductor element.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric elements comprises a p-type semiconductor element.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric elements comprises an n-type semiconductor element in series with a p-type semiconductor element.
 11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a direct current (DC) source.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said DC source is a battery.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein said DC source is an adapter or power supply.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric cooling device is configured to use at most 20 kilowatt-minutes of electric power to cool a 12-ounce beverage in said beverage container from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius in approximately 1 minute or less.
 15. The system of claim 1, wherein said thermoelectric cooling device is configured to use at most 25 kilowatt-minutes of electric power to cool a 20-ounce beverage in said beverage container from about 20 degrees Celsius to about 4 degrees Celsius in approximately 1 minute or less.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein said rotating facilitates cooling of said beverage container at a uniformity that deviates by at most 10 degrees Celsius between any two points on a surface of said container.
 17. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electronic display configured to display a current beverage container temperature and a remaining cooling time of said beverage container.
 18. The system of claim 17, wherein said electronic display is a user interface, and wherein said user interface is configured to enable a user to select a beverage temperature and a cooling cycle time.
 19. The system of claim 17, wherein said electronic display is a capacitive touchscreen.
 20. The system of claim 1, wherein said chamber comprises a removable cap, and wherein said removable cap is transparent.
 21. The system of claim 2, wherein said thermoelectric cooling elements are arranged in a radial direction with respect to said chamber.
 22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a drink vending machine comprising a dispensing slot, wherein said chamber is disposed in said dispensing slot, and wherein said dispensing slot is configured to dispense said beverage container subsequent to cooling.
 23. The system of claim 22, wherein said drink vending machine does not have a refrigeration unit.
 24. The system of claim 1, wherein said source of said thermal coupling medium comprises a reservoir, wherein said system comprises a pump, and wherein said pump is configured to pump said thermal coupling medium from said reservoir to said chamber upon activation of said system.
 25. A method for cooling a beverage container, comprising: (a) activating a cooling system comprising (i) a chamber configured to hold said beverage container; (ii) at least one actuator configured to rotate said beverage container within said chamber; (iii) a source of a thermal coupling medium in fluid communication with said chamber, wherein said thermal coupling medium is configured to thermally couple said beverage container to one or more walls of said chamber; (iv) a heat sink; and (v) a plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements surrounding said chamber, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements is configured to transfer heat from said beverage container to said heat sink upon application of power to said plurality of thermoelectric cooling elements, wherein upon activation, said chamber comprises said thermal coupling medium from said source; and (b) with said beverage container in said chamber, cooling said beverage container.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein (a) comprises cooling said thermal coupling medium to a temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature.
 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving said beverage container in said chamber subsequent to (a).
 28. The method of claim 25, further comprising activating said motor.
 29. A thermoelectric cooling device, comprising: a chamber configured to hold a liquid, wherein said chamber comprises a plurality of sides, wherein a first side and a second side of said plurality of sides each have an area that is at least double the area of any other side of said plurality of sides; heat sinks disposed adjacent to said first side and said second side; and thermoelectric cooling elements disposed between each of said heat sinks and said chamber, wherein said thermoelectric cooling elements are configured to transfer heat from said liquid to said heat sinks upon application of power to said thermoelectric cooling elements.
 30. The thermoelectric cooling device of claim 29, wherein said chamber comprises a plurality of bores, wherein each of the plurality of bores is physically separate. 